Car-bolster



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. WESTLAKE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR-BOLSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,797, dated February 13, 1894.

d i To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES TQVESTLAKE, of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Bolsters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming Y 'a part hereof.

My invention relates to an improved car lster, and consists in the novel arrangent, combination and construction of parts, `will be more fully hereinafter described I *.fd designated in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure lis a top plan View myimproved bolster, a portion being broken if away. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an end eleva- 1 tion. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section taken von the line 6-6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a like section taken on the line 7-,7 in Fig. 3.

My improved bolstereis especially adapted to be used on trucks of that class in which thebolster is supported at its ends upon springs located in a truck-frame of the usual construction.

1 indicates ak car bolster, which is constructed with an I-beam which is provided with a central-bearing 2 and end-bearings 3. Said I-beam is constructed with a vertical longitudinal web 4. Formed on the lower edge ofthe web 4 is a horizontal plate 5 which is straight in side elevation and in plan view is wider at its ends than at its center. (See Fig. 2 for illustration.)

6 indicates the upper plate of the I-beam, which slopes downward from the centralbearing 2 a suitable distance and its ends project downward and are connected to the plate 5. They also branch outward from the web 4 around the outward ends of the bottom-plate 5, terminating adjacent the center of said ends. I will designate these branches by the numeral 7. The ends of the bottom-plate 5 are constructed to form spring-plates 6', and

area and is narrower intermediate ot its ends and the central bearing 2. (See Fig. l

Application filed September 26, 1893. Serial Nol 486.567- (No model.)

for illustration.) g The purpose of this being narrowel` is to lightenl the bolster, and the sloping plate is constructed to stand compression strain only; therefore it does not need to be so wide or of as great cross-sectional area as thebottom-plate 5, as the bottom-plate 5 is Yconstructed to stand the tensile strain. Around the spring-plates 6 vertical projections 8 are formed thereon for column bearings and increased area of section to resist sheering strain at this point. By the plates 6 ot' kthe I-beam sloping downward from the central bearing 2 and by the sloping of this plate toward both ends, it forms a compression truss which continues downward and connects to the bottom-plate, as hereinbefore stated, through the branches 7.

The central bearing 2 of the bolst'eris constructed with a vertical bore 9 so it can be readily connected to a car in the ordinary manner.

Formed on the bottom-plate 5 around the bore 9 is a swollen portion l0 to overcome loss of area by said bore passing through the plate, thereby obtaining necessary area of said plate.

Vertical webs ll are cast integral with the web 4` and the upper and lower plates intermediate of the ends ofthe bolster. These webs are to strengthen the bolster when a twisting or cross-strain comes on the bolster.

When a bolster is applied to the truck and weight is applied on the central bearingin the usual way, the I-beam will M* as a truss, and the top-plate sloping as hereinbefore described and the bottom plate being horizontal, the top plate will form a compressiontruss while the bottom-plate will stand a tensile strain, thus forming avery complete truss in the car bolster. As shown by dotted linesin Figs. 3 and 4. The web 4 can be cored between the upper and lower plates, thus reducing the weight of the bolster, if desired.

I am aware that car holsters are made integral both of pressed and cast steel. The weight to be carried is so great and the space for bolster is so limited, that it hasYbeen found very difficult to prevent fracture in either pressed or cast steel when the supports are presented 'edgewise to the strain. I overcome this ditticulty by the truss formation, as shown Vin drawings, which gives the en- IOO tire strength of the upper plate for compression and thelower plate for tensile strain; in other Words I convert theweight to be carried to a complete push and pull strain, thus avoiding the cross or tearing strain that is so harmful in other plans of metal car holsters.

1. A cast or malleable oar bolster, provided with suitable bearings, and in the form of an I beam in cross-section, the lower edge of said beam being straight While the upper edge slopes from the cutter toward each end, substantially as set forth.

2. A cast steel or malleable car bolster formed of an I-beam in cross-seetion, the upper plate oi said I-beam sloping from its center While the lower plate is straight, and the upper plate being less in cross sectional area than the lower one, substantially as set forth.

3. An integral cast steel or malleable oar bolster I-shaped in cross section, the upper plate of less cross-sectional area than thelower plate thereof, and provided with spring plates and a center bearing, substantially as set forth.

4. A cast steel or malleable car bolster I shaped in cross-section, having an upper'plate of less cross sectional area than the lower plate thereof, a center bearing formed in said bolster, and said lower plate having a swelled portion adjacent said center bearing to strengthen said plate thereat, substantially as herein speciiied.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES T. WESTLAKE.

Vitnesses:

W. J. SANKEY, J No. C. HIGDoN.

Correction in` Letters Patent' No. 514,797.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 514,7 97 granted February 13, 1894, upon the application of Charles T. Westlake, of St. Louis, Missouri, for an improvement in Car-Bolsters, an error appears in the printed specification requiring eorreetion, as follows: In line 12, page 2, `the Word cutter should read center; and that the said Letters Yatentshould be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed, eountersigned, and sealed this 23d day of April, A. D. 1895.

JNO. M. REYNOLDS, AssistomSecretary of the Interior.

y [SEAL] Countersigned:

JOHN S. SEYMOUR,

Commissioner of Patents. 

